By Eve Powell // @evejulia9
Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City SC
FT: 1-1
Philadelphia Union and Orlando City SC battled it out for the top spot in Group A. The 1-1 draw indicated that by and large, the two teams came equally prepared for the MLS is Back Tournament, with Orlando taking the top spot based on their goal difference.
Following a largely uneventful first half, the Union drew first blood in the 68′ via Ilsinho, a player who has long defined the term “impact sub”; he had entered the match less than 10 minutes prior.
It took all of two minutes for Orlando to reply, as Mauricio Pereyra headed home a cross from Nani in the 70′. Although Union goalkeeper Andre Blake made a tantalizing save in the first half, he may feel he could have done better on the goal.
There would be one moment of controversy, as the Union protested that an Orlando defender, Ruan, committed a handball in the box deep in injury time, but referee Rubiel Vazquez and VAR Ismail Elfath were unmoved.
Both teams advance to the round of 16, and await the final round of matches to discover their opponents.
Featured image: MLS (Jared Martinez)
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